Practical Facilities Tips, News & Advice.
A series of explosions in three Massachusetts towns in mid-September resulted in one fatality and several injuries. The incident and the resulting investigations and pending litigation are a reminder of the costliness of failing to conduct proper maintenance and monitoring of equipment to ensure its safe operation and performance.
Does your safety program effectively protect workers when they are exposed to moving machine parts and hazardous energy? The machine guarding and lockout/tagout (LOTO) standards are consistently on the list of the top 10 most frequently cited OSHA standards—read on for a Q&A on the basics, as well as an opportunity to join our live […]
Complete Question: I am developing an updated hazardous material inventory for my Hazard Communication (HazCom) program. We are a industrial supply/hardware supply company that maintains an inventory of paints, thinners, lubricants, and cleaners etc. The employees do not use these substances, but do handle them from receiving, to the shelf, to the customer. What should be […]
A new EPA proposal states that existing emissions limits for hazardous air pollutants generated by three industry sectors engaged in coating operations are sufficient to protect people from cancer risks.
Several states now have looming deadlines for discharge monitoring reports (DMRs), making it a good time of year to evaluate your industrial facility’s stormwater monitoring practices. Improper monitoring—or just plain forgetting to monitor—can lead to a number of costly violations for facilities operating under industrial stormwater permits, so it pays to make sure you’re doing […]
Many facilities have vending machines in place to help employees get through their day, or, to keep customers sated while they move from store to store. Some vending machines, however, serve a much more nefarious purpose. Like the 3 non-permitted machines in the town of Brookhaven, New York (located on Long Island) that were found […]
Tractor-trailer operators are highly trained and among the most skilled drivers on the road. But the challenges of the work, such as tight deadlines, fatigue, the need to drive in bad weather, among others, can lead to bad judgment, accidents, injury, and death. On top of these everyday hazards, the actions after arriving at a […]
Susan Bodine, the EPA’s assistant administrator for the Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance (OECA), has released a new memo suggesting that the Agency will continue to revamp its enforcement activities by emphasizing its engagement with compliance assistance.
Using ambient air to cool and condense steam at electric power plants is a costly alternative to water cooling, however, energy companies are gradually adopting dry cooling according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). Dry cooling or hybrid cooling—a combination of air and water—occurs in 3% of all U.S. thermoelectric generating capacity, says the […]
Employers and employees have relied for years on methylene chloride (also called dichloromethane), one of the more effective substances for industrial cleaning, degreasing, and paint stripping, among many other uses. But, as a commercial product, methylene chloride has few peers when it comes to its hazardous effects on users.